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New stones

So my birthday is coming up, and my girlfriend keeps asking me what i want. I think i am going to invest in some new stones. I am looking for a coarse, medium, and fine. I am thinking about the Gesshin 400, Gesshin 1k, and either the Rika 5k or Gesshin 4k. I have heard a lot of great things about the both the Rika and the Gesshin so i was wondering if the Gesshin was worth the extra money over the Rika? Also if anyone has any other stone suggestions feel free to let me know. Thanks in advance!

Anybody who ever has a need for a coarse stone should have a Gesshin 400. Being the owner of both the Gesshin 4k and the Rika 5k, if I had to choose between one or the other, I take the Gesshin 4k. With some firm pressure you can cut a new bevel if you want. Lighten up on the pressure a bit and raise a burr lickety split. Lighten up the pressure just a touch more and end up with a nice toothy edge.

If you like muddy stones then you'd love the Rika. This stone is completely different from the Gesshin 4k, but it's a joy to use.

The Gesshin 400 is a must buy IMO. I haven't used the Gesshin 1K, but I do like the Gesshin 2k a lot and I think most here would prefer the 2k. As for the Gesshin 4k vs the Suehiro Rika, just realize that they're very different. I can say that I personally prefer the Rika as it's softer, has a creamier feeling, and I feel it leaves a better cutting edge. The Gesshin 4k is a harder feeling stone but cuts a lot faster than the Rika. I've heard from a lot of people that they really love the Gesshin 4k, so there's no clean cut answer for you. Stones get pretty complicated and personal as you move up in grit range. Recommending stones in the lower grit range is a lot easier, hehe.

The only drawback to the Gesshin 400 is that it dishes faster than the Beston 500. Otherwise, it feels better and is surprisingly aggressive on abrasion resistant steels. The Gesshin 400, 2k and 4k are basically sold as a line and work very well together (fast, great feel, aggressive edges) although I'd say the 4k leaves a more aggressive edge than I expected and doesn't shave as well as I expected. It is harder than stones like the Rika but then again, that's one of the softest stones around, barring the Superstones. The Rika leaves a more refined edge than the 4k. I'd say the Gesshin 5k (splash n go), which is a bit harder than the Rika and not as grainy as the 4k, refines an edge even more. I sometimes use this stone as a final pre-stropping stone. The G5k is a little slow unless you actually soak it for a bit, too. I use the Gesshin 1k over the 2k because it is a splash n go and works quickly enough for my taste. It is not a slow stone by any measure. Basically, it comes down to whether you want a soaker AND whether you like your edges aggressive and not so pretty or more refined and shiny. For me, I would probabably take the G4k edge and put a few strokes on an 8k SS just because that's the kind of edge I like.

i would only get two stones to start out with. if you go with the gesshin, i wouldn't get 3 stones. i currently use (as my entire lineup) a gesshin 400 and gesshin 4k. as tk59 said it doesn't shave like a rika can but it gives a superb edge for daily kitchen use and gives me days and days of use. if you want to splurge later on, you could pick up the 2k and/or 8k but i dont feel like i would even use them much.

because i prefer soaking stones over splash and go's, i would say if those are a little on the expensive side, you could just go with the beston 500 and the rika 5k. i use that combo when im sharpening other peoples knives. that combo will work wonders on any kind of steel. honestly i think that the difference in price for those two sets come a distant second to technique and learning so if you really still feel like you need to put in some hours, go with the beston/rika imo.

splurging on stones is fun when you have some experience to judge how the different stones react to the different metals. i personally have stones that just sit there but i never regret buying them as they provide experience and knowledge on what kind of edge i like and how i can achieve it on all different knives.

The only drawback to the Gesshin 400 is that it dishes faster than the Beston 500. Otherwise, it feels better and is surprisingly aggressive on abrasion resistant steels.

i agree but with with an *. the beston dishes faster when its brand new but after you have used it like 1/3 of it, i get the feeling (after it was brought to my attention) that it gets harder and feels more coarse than 500. ive had mine for quite some time and in the first few months it felt like it was only going to last me a total of like 6 months but its been at 1/2 life for like 8 months now. kinda wierd. i will admit i dont use it for my personal knives but i do sharpen a lot of other peoples knives more frequently in the past few months

Thanks for the tips guys. Looks like i still have some thinking to do, probably gonna go for the gesshin 400 but still on sure on a 4-6k stone. We will see. I dont mind soaking stones so i don't really require splash and go.